The West Island Black Community Association was founded by two mothers who wanted to create a safe space for their children and  kids in the area of the West Island, where they are based. The organization will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, and throughout that span of time, their services have extended beyond serving the Black youth in the community. They now have programs specifically dedicated for seniors, adults, and youth. 

“Right now, we are very excited about the ‘Black Girls Gather’ book club,” said Joan Lee, president of the WIBCA. “It’s a book club with workshops for young Black girls from ages 13 to 17 where they read books by Black authors.” The workshops, she said, vary in topics such as hair care and love, poetry readings, paint shops, and more. They also have a robotics team club to inspire Black youth to participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics related programs, with 52 current members, out of which 12 are girls.